Council directs staff to develop resident-parking access plan, asks for pilot options

Portsmouth City Council on Monday directed staff to prepare a detailed implementation plan for a resident-parking access program intended to prioritize residential access near downtown. The motion asked staff to evaluate a $1-per-hour fee for nonresident vehicles and to return with recommended pilot neighborhoods, cost estimates and framework details.

Councilors who sponsored the request said the proposed program would address repeated complaints from residents who find commuter and visitor parking taking long-term spaces adjacent to homes, playgrounds and public facilities. "Our residents deserve first bite at the apple," Councilor Bagley said, arguing residents pay taxes for local facilities and should have priority for nearby parking.

Speakers and several councilors raised practical questions the staff report should answer: how lines would be drawn; how visitors and guests would be accommodated (concerns about seniors and visitors without smartphone apps were raised); enforcement costs and technology options; whether the program would apply to on‑street spaces only or also to surface lots such as Parrot Avenue and the South Mill lot; and whether there should be exemptions for handicap placards (statewide handicap permits remain valid and were discussed as exempt). Several councilors urged staff to consult the 161‑page parking-utilization study and the Desmond Group consultant findings when preparing recommendations.

The councilors’ motion asked staff to consider how the program could support higher-density affordable housing projects that lack parking requirements and to provide implementation steps and costs. Councilors asked for options rather than a single prescription; several members asked that the staff return with alternatives (e.g., lot-based pilots, street-based pilots, app-only versus kiosk and pay-station models).

A majority of councilors voted to direct staff to prepare the plan; the council also voted to extend the meeting past 10:30 p.m. to complete business. Some councilors said previous pilots had mixed results but that the city should plan now because parking deficits are projected in the coming years.

Ending: Staff will prepare a detailed implementation plan and pilot recommendations addressing enforcement, visitor accommodations, cost and equity considerations. Councilors emphasized consultation with parking consultants and a careful public process before implementing any program.